Music teacher finds his Namibian roots
Namibian singer and music history teacher Garth Prinsonsky recently returned to his home country after nine years to reconnect with the people and culture, to collaborate with children in his old community and to shoot a documentary.
Prinsonsky, who lives in Edmonton, Canada, grew up in the coastal city of Swakopmund, Namibia, and was a member of the Mascato Youth and Afroshine choirs. Prinsonsky teaches African music history to children in Canadian schools.
“Visiting the motherland for me meant connecting to my roots,” he told Music In Africa. “I visited my family’s farm for the very first time and in doing so made peace within myself. As a city boy, I almost never had a natural sense of calm and peace, but I discovered this place that I now can think of in times of calm of reflection.”
Prinsonsky said Namibian music education had undergone changes since he immigrated to Canada.
“When I was in school, there may have been more resources and access to classical music programmes. I now see a focus on traditional and cultural music, but the resources are lacking in this area.
“But teachers make the best of their limited resources by encouraging students to bring songs from home and church. School choirs at primary level is also a new trend which I love, because it is a great platform for researching music and culture.”
As part of his visit in August, Prinsonsky organised a concert with children from Kuisebmond and Narra primary schools. Over the course of a week he worked with a group of 80 pupils from the two schools, rehearsing and performing songs such as 'Tate Wetu', 'Dumela Kaufela' and 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'.
“The children I worked with have an immense passion for music and learning, and they reminded me why I do what I do,” Prinsonsky said.
He said Namibian children as compared to their Canadian peers differed in musical ability. He said Canadian children had better comprehension of music theory whereas the Namibian children displayed an aptitude for musical performance.
“The Namibian students even taught me a thing or two, and their input has now elevated the folk songs I teach to better showmanship,” Prinsonsky said.
“My plan is to visit Namibia once a year from now on, so that I may continue learning from the students and that I may refresh and recharge my battery once a year. Staying connected to my roots will help me consistently produce, write and teach African songs for the rest of my life.”
Prinsonsky arrived in Namibia with a camera crew to document his visit. His work with the children will feature in the documentary Music of the Motherland. The central theme of the film illustrates the cultural differences between Canada and Namibia as well as Prinsonsky’s path of self-discovery.
“It’s about my journey to discover my own roots and learn about my own history and culture, something that was not taught in schools when I was growing up.”
Prinsonsky also stressed the importance of music education. He said it was crucial for young people to learn the business of music so foreign publishers could not take advantage of African artists and their works.
“If we Africans learn to read, write and publish our own music, this trend will decline and we can build wealth for ourselves and elevate our own communities.
“I think it’s crucial to study music because it is an area in which we are naturally strong. Given extra training in music and business, future students can improve our ability to export our expertise to the rest of the world.”
“The journey to Namibia has been awe-inspiring. The sheer joy that African music brings forth in the world is what hooked me in the first place and is what kept me making music even in hard times,” Prinsonsky said.
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